developmental task of infant

1. SEMINAR
ON
“DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS AND
SPECIAL NEEDS IN INFANTS”
PRESENTED BY:
M.C.KNIRANDA
1ST YEAR M.Sc.(N)
SNSR

3. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
 Growth is an essential feature that distinguishes a
child from an adult. The process of growth starts
from the time of conception and continues until
the child grows into a fully mature adult. The term
growth denotes a net increase in the size or mass
of tissues.
 Development refers to maturation of functions and
acquisition of various skills for optimal functioning
of an individual.

4. THE INFANT’S FAMILY
 Parents may feel a strong sense of love towards their
newborn baby at birth.
 Learning to know their infant and maintaining the love
relationship is the intimate process that unites separate
individuals into a family.
 Just as an infant grows and develops, so also must the
process of becoming a parent develop.
 During the infant’s first year, the parents must learn from
the cues what the infant is trying to tell them.
 The parents must learn to observe their infant’s behavior
and strive to fulfil the baby’s needs.

5. DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS OF INFANT
• 1 MONTH
1. Physical or Biological-
 Weight- 4.4(+-)0.8 kg; gains above 680 g a month during first 6 months, or 150-210 g
a week.
 Length- approximately 53(+-)2.5 cm; increases about 2.5 cm in a month during first 6
months.
 Head circumference- increases about 1.5 cm a month during first 6 months.
 Pulse- 130(+-)20
 Respirations- 35(+-)10
 Blood pressure- 80/50 (+-) 20/10
 Reflexes- Primitive reflexes govern movements. Has well-developed sucking, rooting,
swallowing, and extrusion reflexes, Moro reflex, and asymmetric tonic neck reflex,
dance and doll’s eye reflexes fading, physiological immaturity, breaths through nose.

6. CONTD…
2. Motor –
 Gross motor:
Lies in flexed position. When prone, pelvis is elevated but knees are
not beneath abdomen as they were after birth.
Head lags when baby pulled from a supine to a sitting position.
Head sags forward when baby is held in sitting position.
May lift head periodically when held over adult’s shoulder or placed in
prone position.
Turns head to the side when prone.
 Fine motor:
Hold hands in tight fists.
Can grasp an object placed in the hand but drops it immediately.

7. CONTD…
3. Sensory –
 Startled by sounds(Moro reflex)
 Attentive stare at surroundings
 Fixates on objects brought in front of eyes. Notices faces especially the
bright objects, but only if they are in the line of vision.
 Protective blinking in response to bright light.
 Follows a bright object to the midline of vision if 6-8 inches from eyes.

8. CONTD…
4. Psychosocial –
 Beginning development of sense of trust. Negative counterpart mistrust.
 Totally egocentric.
 Complete dependence on caregivers, usually mother bonding progresses.
 Shows regard for human face.
 Establishes eye contact
 Smiles briefly
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage (0-1 year)
 Oral dependent or oral- passive: need for sucking pleasure
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated (0-1 year)
 Feelings of trust, warmth, and security form the foundation for the later development of faith

9. C0NTD…
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years)
 Primary circular reaction (1-4 months) : Begins to repeat actions of own body voluntarily(
hand-to-mouth movement permits sucking).
8. Moral –
 Preconventional Morality Stage 0 (0-2 years)
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Responds to human voices
a. Expressive language –
 Opens and closes mouth as adult speaks
 Utters small throaty sounds
 Utters sounds of comfort when feeding
 Cry patterns developing
 Cries when hungry or uncomfortable
 Begins to coo

10. 2 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Posterior fontanel closes by 6-8 weeks.
2. Motor –
• Gross motor:
 Less fixed prone position: arms flexed, hips flat, legs extended, head in midposition or side.
• Fine motor:
 Hands open, grasps reflex fading.
3. Sensory –
 Turns head to side when a sound occurs at ear level.
 Eyes follow moving person nearby.
4. Psychosocial –
 Sense of trust
 Has learned that crying bring attention
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage(0-1) year
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)

11. CONTD…
7. Intellectual –
Sensorimotor stage
Substage 2: primary circular reaction
8. Moral –
Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a.Receptive language:
Alert expression when listening
Quietens by hearing caregivers voice
a.Expressive language:
Cry patterns differentiated- varies with reason. e.g. hunger,
sleep etc.

12. 3 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Length 60(+-) 2 cm
 Weight 5.7 kg
 Respiration 35(+-) 10
 Blood pressure 80/50 (+-) 20/10
 Primitive reflexes fading
2. Motor –
a. Gross:
 Sits when supported in sitting position
 Raises chest, usually supported on forearms when in prone position
a. Fine:
 Hands open or loosely
• Holds object, reaches for bright light

13. CONTD…
3. Sensory –
 Turns head to locate sound
 Blinks at objects brought near to eyes. Begins to have ability to coordinate
stimuli from various sense organs.
4. Psychosocial –
 Sense of trust
 Recognizes and smiles in response to caregiver’s
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage(0-1 year)
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)

14. CONTD…
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 2: primary circular reaction
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Looks at others when they speak
a. Expressive language:
 Coos, cries less, makes many sounds
 Laughs a loud
 Vocalizes in response to others

15. 4 MONTHS
1. Physical –
• Saliva production increases, which is indicated by drooling. As it is not
swallowed, it comes out of mouth.
Tonic neck, moro, sucking, rooting reflexes are absent.
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
No heads lag when pulled to sitting position
Rolls from front to back
Sits erect if propped up
a. Fine motor:
Hands kept clean
Grasps objects with both hands
Carries objects to the mouth

16. CONTD…
3. Sensory –
 Can follow a moving object with eyes
 Hand eye coordination
 Able to recognize familiar objects such as the feeding bottles
4. Psychosocial –
 Smiles in response to smiles of others or when they nearby
 Show eagerness when feeding bottle appears
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage (0-1 year)

17. CONTD…
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 2: primary circular reaction
 Substage 3: secondary circular reaction
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Different responses to pleasant or angry voices
 Does not cry when scolded
a. Expressive language:
 Talkative, coos loudly, vocalizes b,g,h,m,p, laughs loudly

18. 5 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Weight: twice the birth weight
 Can breathe through mouth if nose is obstructed
 Slow physical growth
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
 While sitting, he is able to hold head well balanced and sits with support for longer period
 Can turn from back to front
 Is able to pull feet up to mouth in supine position
a. Fine motor:
 Grasps objects voluntarily with his whole hand
 Play with toys, toes
3. Sensory –
 Localizes sounds made below the ear
 Visualizes a dropped object

19. CONTD…
4. Psychosocial –
• Smiles at self in mirror
 Begins to discriminate family members from strangers
 Play with own feet
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage(0-1 year)
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 2: primary circular reaction
 Substage 3: secondary circular reaction

20. CONTD…
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Responds when his name is called or spoken
a. Expressive language:
 Mimics sounds
 Vowels like cooing sounds interpose with consonant sound

21. 6 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Weight 7.4(+-) 1 kg
 Length 65.5 (+-) 3 cm
 Head circumference 43 cm
 Pulse 120 (+-) 20
 Respiration 31(+-) 9
 Blood pressure 90/60(+-)28/10
 Begins to bite and chew
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
 Lifts chest and upper abdomen off the table while in prone position
 Bears weight on hands
 Sits with back straight
a. Fine motor –
 Grasps and manipulates smaller objects
 Feeds himself by holding the bottle

22. CONTD…
3. Sensory –
 He is able to locate sounds made above the ear
 Adjusts and moves to see an object
4. Psychosocial –
 Recognizes parents
 Recognizes strangers as different from family members
 Knows what is liked and disliked
5. Psychosexual:
 Oral stage(0-1 year)
1. Spiritual:
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)

23. CONTD…
7. Intellectual:
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 3: secondary circular reaction
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Recognizes familiar voice
b. Expressive language:
 Infant gurgles coos and laughs aloud
 Imitates sounds

24. 7 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Sucking and rooting reflexes disappear at 7-8 months when asleep
 Upper central incisors erupt
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
 Sits learning on both hands
 Bears full weight on legs
a. Fine motor:
 He is able to transfer objects from one hand to another
 Can imitate actions of others, holds the cup
3. Sensory –
 Has preferences in taste for foods
 Responds to own name

25. CONTD…
4. Psychosocial –
 Shows increasing fear of strangers
 Unhappy when caregiver, usually mother disappears
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage(0-1 year)
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 3: secondary circular reaction
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Recognizes his own name
a. Expressive language
 Talks in response to other talks
 Some jargon

26. 8 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Establishes a regular pattern in bladder and bowel movements
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
 Sits without support
 Stands without support
a. Fine motor:
 Drinks from cup with help
 Reaches for toys which are out of reach
3. Sensory –
 Able to recognize familiar words and sounds
4. Psychosocial –
 Refuses to play with strangers
• Stretches arms to loved family members

27. CONTD…
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage(0-1 year)
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 3: secondary circular reaction
 Knows that object are separate from self
 Substage 4: coordination of secondary schemas
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage(0-1 year)
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Stops activity when own name is spoken
 Beginning to understand meaning of “no”
a. Expressive language:
 Shouts for attention
 Imitates sound sequences, continues syllables: dada, mama

28. 9 MONTHS
1. Physical –
a. Reflexes: plantar grasp absent
b. Teething: upper incisors erupt
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
 Crawls
 Stands with support
 Is able to stand by himself from sitting position
a. Fine motor:
 Drinks from cup
 Holds own bottle with good hand mouth coordination
 Pokes objects with fingers
3. Sensory –
 Shows marked interest in very small objects and puts them in the mouth
 Localizes sound by turning head

29. CONTD…
4. Psychosocial –
 Caregiver, usually mother becoming more important as a person
 Beginning to play simple games with adult such as “so big, bye bye”
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage(0-1 year)
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 4: coordination of secondary schemas
 Able to follow objects through transition from one place to another

30. CONTD…
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a. Receptive:
• Responds to commands says no-no
a. Expressive language:
 Is able to understand if the caregiver gets angry
 Cries in response to anger or scolding

31. 10 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Head circumference 45 cm
 Macula is well developed
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
 Is able to change from prone to sitting position
 Creeps well
 Is able to stand from sitting position
a. Fine motor:
 Grasp reflex fades
 Hands frequently open
3. Sensory –
 Is interested in very small objects
 Searches for a lost toy with greater persistence

32. CONTD…
4. Psychosocial –
 Improves in the ability to imitate others: imitate facial expressions
 Expresses several beginning recognizable emotions such as anger, sadness, jealousy, anxiety and affection
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage(0-1 year)
6. Spiritual –
• Undifferentiated(0-1 year)
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 4: coordination of secondary schemas
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Says dada, mama by understanding the meaning
a. Expressive language:
 Imitates meanings used words such as bye, tata

33. 11 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Lower lateral incisors erupt
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
 Creeps with abdomen off the floor
a. Fine motor:
 Hold pens to make mark on paper
 Explore objects thoroughly
3. Sensory –
 Tilts head backward
4. Psychosocial –
 Asserts self among family members seeks approval, avoids disapproval
 Shows pleasure when a desired act is accomplished
5. Psychosexual –
• Oral stage(0-1 year)

34. CONTD…
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 4: coordination of secondary schemas
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Responds to simple questions
 Understands and looks at objects and points the objects when told about them
a. Expressive language:
 Imitates definite speech sound

35. 12 MONTHS
1. Physical –
 Weight 10(+-)1.5 kg
 Length 74.5(+-)3 cm
 Head circumference 46 cm
 Pulse 115(+-)20
 Respiration 30(+-)10
 Blood pressure 96/66(+-)30/24
2. Motor –
a. Gross motor:
 Stands alone momentarily
 Sits down from standing position
 Walks with minimum support or takes 2-3 steps without support
a. Fine motor:
 Neat pincer grasp
 Tries to put pellets in narrow neck bottle
 Turns pages of the book

36. CONTD…
3. Sensory –
 Listens for recurring sounds
 Follows fast moving objects with eyes
4. Psychosocial –
 Attachment developed to primary caregiver
 Infants emotion such as fear, jealousy, anger, can be more clearly interpreted
5. Psychosexual –
 Oral stage(0-1year)
6. Spiritual –
 Undifferentiated(0-1 year)

37. CONTD…
7. Intellectual –
 Sensorimotor stage
 Substage 4: coordination of secondary schemas
 Has learned that objects continue to exist even when out of sight
8. Moral –
 Preconventional morality stage 0
9. Language –
a. Receptive language:
 Is able to comprehend meanings of many words
a. Expressive language:
 Recognizes object by names
 Obeys simple commands

40. REFERENCES
1. Marlow’s, textbook of Pediatric Nursing, published by Elsevier India Pvt.Ltd.,
South Asian Edition, 2013, page no. 426-460.
2. Dutta Parul, Pediatric Nursing, published by Jaypee Brothers Medical
Publishers (P)Ltd., Second edition, 2009, page no.115,125.
3. https://www.merriam-webster.com>infant
4. https://en.m.wikipedia.org>wiki>infant